SYRACUSE N.Y.-Summer Youth Basketball in Northside of Syracuse is back in action at the McChesney recreation center. The Summer A.C.T.I.O.N. Basketball League tipped-off its first season in over a year earlier this month. The program is a staple in the community and has been hosted at the recreation center since 1990. Kids are split into divisions (11-12 and 13-15-years-old) and divided up into teams and play games once a week. The program was started by the son of its current director, Dave Bardenett. Bardenett said, “I grew up in rec centers and working at them was just the natural thing to do.”
It was important for him to continue the legacy that was built when he played as a kid. The league has kept kids off the streets, played host to local top talent and has united the community around the sport of basketball. A.C.T.I.O.N. stands for Activities Central to Improving Our Neighborhoods and that exactly what the games do. Speaking to Najeh Bey, a 15-year-old player is excited to have the league back because it got him back on track.
“I’ve been playing for a few years now because I love the game of basketball; it keeps me on track. It messed me up when it away,” said Bardenett.
Bardenett knows the league isn’t at full strength yet. He hopes to restart its high school division for 16–18-year-olds in the fall and continue the 11-15 divisions as well. More than that, Bardenett knows the importance of basketball to this community.
